Thruway Authority’s (alleged) Ferris Bueller

The Inspector General has caught what might be the state Thruway Authority’s version of Ferris Bueller — in the person of a worker who allegedly forged doctors notes to get time off:

New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott announced the arrest of a New York State Thruway employee on charges he filed 16 forged doctor’s notes between May 2013 and January 2014 in an effort to secure excused absences from work. The New York State Thruway Authority initially reviewed this employee’s records and then referred the matter to the Inspector General.

“New York State employees are expected to be truthful when filing documentation indicating their need to be away from their worksite,” said Inspector General Scott. “Manufacturing doctor’s notes to justify absenteeism is not only an unlawful forgery, but is an abuse of public resources. When employees or officials commit such fraud, my office will investigate their misconduct and ensure they are held accountable.”

Thruway Maintenance Worker Jose Mulero, 31, of Haverstraw, N.Y., allegedly manufactured and filed fraudulent medical excuses with his employer on 16 different dates in an effort to maintain his employment status and use accrued sick leave. The fraudulent notes appeared to be signed by a duly licensed physician indicating the defendant was treated by the physician on specific dates.

However, based upon the Inspector General’s investigation, the named physician never treated the defendant, and did not sign the doctor’s notes, or write the notes on the defendant’s behalf. Additionally, the defendant admitted to the Inspector General that he knew what he was doing was wrong and that, “eventually the sick notes would catch up.” He further admitted he had never been a patient of that physician and signed the fraudulent notes himself.

New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Thomas J. Madison, Jr., said: “The Thruway Authority’s Department of Audit referred this case to the Inspector General. As with all New York State employees, Thruway Authority workers are held to a higher standard and we will not tolerate employees who engage in criminal activity. We have already begun an internal review of our procedures to see if any additional actions are warranted to better prevent this activity in the future. I want to personally thank the Inspector General’s office and the Rockland County District Attorney’s office for their assistance in this prosecution.”

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe, whose office is prosecuting the case said: “Fraud and forgery are serious crimes that undermine the system for employees who are truly deserving of sick time. We will continue to work with the Office of the State Inspector General to aggressively prosecute individuals who abuse the system to their own benefit.”

Mulero is charged with 16 counts of Forgery in the Second Degree, Class D Felonies, and one count of Official Misconduct, a Class A Misdemeanor. Mulero was arraigned before the Hon. Judge Howard Gerber, Town of Clarkstown Justice Court, and is scheduled to reappear in court April 30.

Inspector General Scott thanks District Attorney Zugibe for assisting in the investigation and prosecution of this case. The defendant is deemed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Yes, but did he steal any gas! I love how they report that he’s being charged with 16 felonies. Ha. Unless this guys got a record he’s getting probation. Even worse is he gets publicly humiliated which most real criminals don’t even get. Keeping going after the little fish IG’s office.

I am sure there are enough political hacks working for the NY State Thruway Authority that do not even bother to forge excuses the cover their absences. And I am certain nothing is ever done about that fraud!

How about we do away entirely with the Thruway authority, which exists for no reason whatsoever? The bonds that funded the Thruway were fully funded years ago. This is a quasi-government agency that serves no purpose other than to collect tolls to keep itself funded so they can pay a bunch of Teamster toll collectors to keep taking money from motorists. Amazing.

Yet another scandal involving a lazy state employee. Man caves under the Capitol, retirement and workers comp. scammers, cops on Long Island making a quarter mill a year… There’s just no end to the corruption in the government ‘workforce.’

Unlikely that he will serve any time. Most likely,he will be allowed to resign his position as part of a plea deal. Assuming he has no previous criminal record,he will be a probation. If he does not agree to a deal, the agency will have to issue a notice of discipline and have him found guilty and the arbitrator will have to agree that termination is appropriate.

This will be negotiated to some sort of misdemeanor(s), Jose will avoid jail time and forfeit any retirement credit he has. Why? No trial – no witnesses – no more dirty linen gets aired – Twy’s problem disappears.

Going for the guppies while the sharks still prowl. If anybodies job performance needs to be investigated, it should be the Inspector General, who obviously IS NOT doing her job. Get angry people, stay angry, and vote ALL the Bums OUT 2014!

What this guy did wasn’t criminal so why involve the Inspector general and local district attorney at all? This guy should have gone through the normal disciplinary procedure and been fired. Instead this is just a political move to show how the IG;’;s office is rooting out corruption in state government. Every single state legislator commits more serious and costly acts every day yet no one goes after them because there are no laws or procedures to discipline them.

We coverup a managerial clown on sexual harassment charges, and bang a truck driver. Both did wrong, but do we need graduates of clown college and clown community college, “managing” a straight road? Good to have wealthy, contributing parents from both sides of the aisle, eh?

Who is to judge what is more or less of a crime? This person collected his wages illegally if he was paid by the state for time off that he did not deserve. Spitzer hypocritically patronized prostitutes despite his record of prosecuting prostitution rings. He both fought against and supported the oldest economic transaction. It may be argued that prostitution and hypocrisy are victimless crimes.

@Progressive: Now that’s progressive, saying that prostitution is a victimless crime. From the prostitute, to the john, who risks getting HIV/AIDS, or some venereal disease, or getting mugged, to the spouse(who also is put st risk for the same diseases) and children, when the family falls apart, their are a lot of victims. So there is nothing to argue about prostitution, it is rife with victims. And hypocrisy? Hypocrisy in politics costs each and every citizen, in too many ways to list.

Every public and private sector employer has employees who will abuse sick leave. What this employee did is a crime. Why does it make the “news”? it’s because IG issues a public statement and it doesn’t cost a dime for any news feed to run the “story”. There are state employees who forged doctor’s notes who are still employed in their same title after pleading down the charge and accepting the penalties within their Notice of Discipline. Not everything makes the “news”.

Bob wrote: ” From the prostitute, to the john, who risks getting HIV/AIDS, or some venereal disease, or getting mugged, to the spouse(who also is put st risk for the same diseases) and children, when the family falls apart, their are a lot of victims.”

Smoking and drinking are legal, yet smoking is strongly linked to cancer and respiratory disease. How many health care dollars are spent there? What of the widows and parentless children?
Some folks get drunk and cause lots of property damage and/or death.